Schools to Do More for Military Students

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San Diego Unified public schools near the Miramar Corps Air Station will share a $2.5 million federal grant intended for programs that could make life easier for military students between deployments.

SAN DIEGO  San Diego Unified public schools near the Miramar Corps Air Station will share a $2.5 million federal grant intended for programs that could make life easier for military students between deployments.

The U.S. Department of Defense collectively awarded eight schools the money. District officials say those campuses take in about 3,200 students with ties to the military. That's about 26 percent of the district's student population.

San Diego Unified's Pam Hosmer says the grant will pay for more academic and social programs at the eight schools. For example, there will be more academic remediation programs targeting math. Teenage students will be able to make-up coursework or retake a class via an online curriculum. Counseling will also get a financial boost so that programs will focus on all aspects of the transition process.

“Some of the students told us, in a survey we did, that schools are very good about making kids feel welcomed when they come (into a school), but when they leave, its almost like they feel forgotten,” Hosmer said. “Nobody makes a big deal when they leave. And a lot of times they can leave pretty quickly.”

Hosmer says the grant is part of a district-wide effort to do a better job supporting military families. She says the grant will be spread-out over the next three years.

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